Thatcher divides in death as in life

Updated
Tue Apr 09 12:25:09 EST 2013

Photo

Flowers and mementos left by members of the public and admirers sit outside Margaret Thatcher's home.

AFP: Will Oliver

Flags have been lowered at half-mast and flowers are piling up outside her home, but the death of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher has been welcomed by her critics, who say she damaged parts of the country.

Baroness Thatcher, the controversial "Iron Lady" who dominated a generation of British politics and won international acclaim for helping to end the Cold War, died after a stroke yesterday aged 87.

On the streets of London's financial district - whose power was fuelled by Baroness Thatcher's deregulation of the financial sector - many passers-by reacted with sadness to the passing of the Conservative former premier.

"It's a shame, a crying shame. She's a good woman," said Alan Whiteford, a law firm employee.

"It's a sad day," added banker Nick Daking.

At Baroness Thatcher's former home in central London, a pile of flowers was growing on the doorstep.

"The greatest British leader and a true lady," one card read. "You make Britain what it is."

But in the south London neighbourhood of Brixton, the scene of serious rioting in 1981, sworn enemies of The Iron Lady held a street party to celebrate the death of former prime minister.

About 200 Brixton residents celebrated the news of her death by drinking and dancing to hip-hop and reggae songs blaring from sound systems.

People held up placards reading "Rejoice - Thatcher is dead", while others scrawled "Good Riddance" on the pavement.

"I'm very, very pleased. She did so much damage to this country," said one man brandishing an original newspaper billboard from 1990 announcing Thatcher's resignation.

NUM general secretary Chris Kitchen added: "We've been waiting for a long time to hear the news of Baroness Thatcher's demise and I can't say I'm sorry.

"I honestly can't think of anything good I can say about Margaret Thatcher.

"I only hope when Margaret Thatcher is buried, they bury her policies with her."

Others on the left also hailed Thatcher's departure as a cause for celebration.

"We'll be glad to see the back of her," Judith Orr, editor of the far-left Socialist Worker weekly newspaper, said.

"She ruined the lives of tens of millions of working class people in Britain.

"And she rejoiced in war.

"That was one of her most disgusting moments, but there is a long list of crimes."

Rights activist Peter Tatchell described the former Iron Lady as "extraordinary but heartless", saying she had presided over the decimation of Britain's manufacturing base and introduced "Britain's first new anti-gay law in 100 years", Section 28.

Yet he conceded that as Britain's first and still only woman prime minister, she had achieved something significant.

"To her credit, she shattered the sexist glass ceiling in politics and got to the top in a man's world," he said.

Her impact on the 1980s was such that opponents, including Labour's Tony Blair and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, led tributes to a legacy that radically transformed the British economy along free-market lines now widely taken for granted and includes her role in the peaceful end to the Cold War.

"Very few leaders get to change not only the political landscape of their country but of the world," said Mr Blair, whose term as Labour prime minister from 1997-2007 he acknowledged owed a debt to the former leader of his Conservative opponents.

"Margaret was such a leader. Her global impact was vast."

Conservative prime minister David Cameron, who cut short a visit abroad, said: "We've lost a great leader, a great prime minister and a great Briton.

"The real thing about Margaret Thatcher is that she didn't just lead our country, she saved our country."

Today we lost great leader, a great prime minister and a great Briton. Margaret Thatcher didn't just lead our country, she saved our country. And we should never forget that the odds were stacked against her.